Animal Communication

I get asked all the time, "How does animal communication work?"

​

If you are a pet owner, you probably realize our animals pick up and understand certain emotions, body language and words we say.  Our animals are actually much more receptive than that.  They are also able to receive and pick up the visual pictures in our head.  The visual picture and the words together give them a more clear understanding of what we are trying to communicate.

 

So many times we tell our animals what we want and then visualize them behaving in an opposite manner.   For example "DON'T JUMP"  visualizing a jumping dog.   Instead just using the word "DOWN" or "SIT," can create clear a communication and picture of what we want.   If we as owners/parents/family are able to focus a little more on the pictures we visualize in our head specifically on what we want to happen instead of what we don't want to happen, there will be a clear understanding of what we are trying to communicate.

​

Animals communicate with each other through body language.  Understanding an animal's body language is key to understanding behaviors.  I have found that all species of animals have “calming signals.”  These signals can give animal owners and professionals great insight into how our animals are feeling at any given moment.  

Animals use body language to calm themselves or other animals in stressful situations, to show dominance, to communicate to us where they have pain in their body or to show us when they are confused or confident.